Inspiration of the Week: coupling contemporary touches with country charm

The object of our affection this week is The Old Workshop (no prizes for guessing where its name comes from). Found in Saint James South Elmham, one of a group of 12 villages known as The Saints in eastern Suffolk, it was built in the 18^th century but has been gently remodelled over the years. The latest – very beautiful – addition comes courtesy of the current owner: a bedroom extension designed by Mark Prizeman.

Constructed of poured concrete and with a roof of raw wood, this new wing manages to both stand in glorious opposition to the 18^th-century heart of the house itself, while also quietly complementing it, the timber frames chiming with their – much older – forebears in the main building. It’s a comfortable contrast and one that sums up everything we love about this listing: diverse in style (though consistently stylish), full of interesting details – it houses a set of 16th-century double doors thought to have come from an Orthodox monastery in Lithuania – and sensitively decorated.

We’re particularly taken by the use of salvage across all parts of the house, both structurally and cosmetically; from doors and handsome, hefty furniture to joinery repurposed from ancient barges. Not only do these reused things have all the rustic and romantic charm that reclamation brings, but some clever modernisation has meant they have none of the normal nuisances. The 1950s Aga found at one end of the kitchen? It’s been gutted and replaced with tech from today. And that shepherd’s hut looks even more inviting once you know it’s fitted with electrics and a stove. Admittedly, there are a few unmodernised wood-burners in the house – a 19^th-century one warms the kitchen – but if it ain’t broke…

Everywhere, different patinas and materials from all eras vie happily. See the sitting room, where a concrete fireplace sits in front of the knots and gnarls of centuries-old timber. Nearby, a linen sofa with squishy cushions adds another layer of textural complexity. A metal bathtub in the new extension feels simultaneously Victorian in its shape and style, and yet couldn’t look more modern in its cool concrete cocoon. This is difference done delightfully.